Happy Thanksgiving week! This cranberry pomegranate curd tart is making an appearance at my Thanksgiving table this year. It combines a lot of my favorite things: cranberries, buttery tart crust, and creamy, silky curd, making it a close cousin to the chocolate cream pies or pumpkin pies that regularly appear on holiday tables. This is a tart-sweet, very festive alternative to the regular Thanksgiving pie lineup.

This tart actually went through several iterations – it originated as these cranberry tartlets with a gingersnap crust I made a while back. I contemplated doing a gingerbread crust for this tart, but it evolved into more a spiced version of a pate sablée. If I made this again, I might try playing around with it some more to get it more gingerbread-y: perhaps adding some molasses and more spices. Or, you can also go the easy route and do a gingersnap crust, which is more of a crumbly texture but equally delicious.

I also riffed on my cranberry curd by using pomegranate juice to give it an extra dimension of flavor. I drink cranberry pomegranate juice all the time so this is a little like a dessert version of my juice!

Finally, I originally planned to decorate the tart with cranberries, but after seeing the first few photos, I decided to make some sugared cranberries as I thought they would pop better against the tart. Hope you agree! Although you have to plan ahead to make the sugared cranberries (making them last minute like I did means you’ll sacrifice some of the sweetness), they’re super simple to make, and they also make a fun snack and beautiful decoration on their own for your holiday parties.

This tart is best served the day it’s made, and goes wonderfully with a dollop of whipped cream. I might keep playing around with a bit more – maybe serve it with some gingerbread men next time. It’s too good to not make again.

Combine ½ cup sugar with the water in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and let cool to just warm (you don't want to cook the cranberries in hot sugar syrup).

Place sugar syrup in a container and place cranberries in the syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove cranberries from syrup and drain on a wire rack for about 30 minutes to remove excess syrup.

Roll cranberries in ½ cup sugar to cover and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to dry.

For the curd:

Combine cranberries and pomegranate juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until cranberries have burst.

Process cranberry mixture in food processor until smooth (don't worry, you can strain out the bits of skin later); or you can puree in a food mill.

Create a water bath by placing a saucepan of water over heat to simmer. Whisk together the sugar and eggs in a metal bowl. Whisk in the cranberry puree, lemon juice, and salt.

Place the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom does not touch the water. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until the curd reaches 180 degrees and thickens. Keep whisking while the mixture is heating up to prevent the eggs from cooking.

Take the curd off the heat and strain it into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let the curd rest for a bit until it cools to about 140 degrees.

Add in the butter pieces a few at the time and combine on high speed. Once all of the butter has been added, let the mixture combine for a few minutes longer to ensure the mixture is perfectly smooth.

Pour curd into a container and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour before assembly.

for the pâte sablée:

Combine flour and confectioners' sugar in a food processor. Process until combined.

Add in the spices and salt and process to fully combine.

Add in butter and process in quick pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs - it should not be fully combined into a ball.

Add in the egg yolk and process in quick pulses just until the dough starts to form larger clumps. Again don't let it fully combine into a solid ball of dough. If the dough holds together when you press some small pieces together, it's done.

Butter a 9" round tart tin with removable bottom.

Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart tin. You may have some dough left over.

Freeze the tart shell for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and press it down over the crust.

Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until crust is dry and lightly browned. If the crust has puffed up, press it down with a spoon or dough tamper.

Let crust cool on cooling rack.

To assemble:

Pour curd into tart crust and spread out evenly. Place back in refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours until curd is firm.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/cranberry-pomegranate-curd-tart.html/feed0Apple Marzipan Cakehttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/apple-marzipan-cake.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/apple-marzipan-cake.html#commentsThu, 08 Nov 2018 20:16:24 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6891This pretty little apple marzipan cake might be one of my favorite new baking experiments. Since it’s November and officially holiday season, I’ve been in a serious baking mood. Leafing through my cookbooks last weekend, I came across The Wednesday Chef‘s apple marzipan cake (or apfel-marzipan-kuchen) in her excellent Classic German Baking. The description of […]

This pretty little apple marzipan cake might be one of my favorite new baking experiments. Since it’s November and officially holiday season, I’ve been in a serious baking mood. Leafing through my cookbooks last weekend, I came across The Wednesday Chef‘s apple marzipan cake (or apfel-marzipan-kuchen) in her excellent Classic German Baking. The description of the perfect fluffy-tender apple cake was enticing enough, but I was also reminded of an almond cake I made a while back, and I was curious to compare the recipes. There were several key differences, including the use of cornstarch, melted butter (rather than softened), and of course apples in Luisa’s recipe, so I did a bit of tweaking to my recipe to see how it would turn out differently.

Even downsized and slightly modified from the original, the apfel-marzipan-kuchen is an irresistible cake indeed. It’s one of those cakes that seems deceptively simple, yet yields such superlative results for seemingly little effort. The difference between this cake and my almond cake is mainly in the texture: while my recipe results in a denser, fine crumbed, more pound cake like cake, this recipe results in a very soft, tender cake – almost creamy, as Luisa describes it. It’s essentially the epitome of melt in your mouth. It’s a really brilliant example of how a few small changes can make something almost totally different. I also really love the apple topping; not only it is gorgeous but the flavors marry so well with the marzipan and butter cake. Be sure you find the most flavorful apples you can to get the most out of this recipe.

I do have some baking notes about this apple marzipan cake. Because of the amount of liquid in the batter, part of which comes from the apples, the cake can take a deceptively long time to bake. I found that even after the outer parts were obviously done, the center was still liquid. The original recipe has diced apples mixed into the batter, which I tried and loved, but if you don’t have apples added in there it will likely also help it bake a little faster. If you find the outer edges already done and are afraid of overbrowning, you can put some foil over the edge of the pan to help protect it. This is a very moist cake, so even at full baking time or a little beyond it seems like there’s little danger of it drying out. I find it best just cooled, still slightly warm, when the crumb is at peak perfection. You don’t need to wait for the holidays to arrive to try this out – it’s simple enough to make any day, and will certainly elevate any day into a special one.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/apple-marzipan-cake.html/feed4{SF} Cassava San Francisco: The Perfect Neighborhood Restauranthttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/cassava-san-francisco-restaurant.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/cassava-san-francisco-restaurant.html#respondMon, 05 Nov 2018 19:50:32 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6862Cassava San Francisco calls itself a neighborhood restaurant, a humble description for this little gem in the Outer Richmond district of San Francisco. Run by husband and wife team Kris Toliao and Yuka Ioroi, it captures the local, farm-to-table sensibilities of Bay Area cuisine in a relaxed and unpretentious setting. They’re focused with making guests […]

Cassava San Francisco calls itself a neighborhood restaurant, a humble description for this little gem in the Outer Richmond district of San Francisco. Run by husband and wife team Kris Toliao and Yuka Ioroi, it captures the local, farm-to-table sensibilities of Bay Area cuisine in a relaxed and unpretentious setting. They’re focused with making guests feel welcome in their cozy, homey space, so much that you can’t believe such wonderful food isn’t getting more fanfare.

They have made a name for Cassava for their Japanese breakfast, a classic presentation of Japanese breakfast dishes such as miso soup, poached egg in dashi broth, pickled vegetables, koshihikari rice, and roasted fish. The rest of their menu is a mix of modern Californian with occasional Asian influences, from white sea bass with buckwheat spaetzle to a breakfast croissant sandwich made with pork shoulder and harissa confit. Kris has worked for Dominique Crenn and at a Japanese kaiseki restaurant, and it shows in the menu creativity and the precise plating. We visited for a sampling of their new fall menu, and I pretty much loved everything.

Cassava’s Persimmon Pimm’s Cup, made with their housemade Pimm’s, ginger beer, and Angostura bitters, is a perfect autumn cocktail and a lovely beginning to the dinner.

At dinnertime, Cassava offers a four course tasting menu, for $42/guest, which is an amazing bargain for San Francisco and for the quality of the dishes at Cassava. We got to try some of the dishes off the tasting menu as well as from their regular dinner menu, and I think either way you go you won’t be disappointed.

Burrata makes everything so much better. This beautiful salad features California-made Di Stefano burrata with baby lettuce, strawberries, grapes, and pine nuts. In the background is the Early Girl tomato and chicory salad. The composition of their salads are so pretty.

One of the most intriguing dishes of the night was the quinoa porridge with curried cauliflower, grana padano, dried cranberries, and Japanese water pepper. Although it sounds like health food, it actually tasted more like a really rich and flavorful, almost mashed potato-like dish.

Yuka making one of the many cocktails she creates for Cassava. She’s such a fun and cheerful personality, I loved hearing about she and Kris started Cassava as their dream. They’ve made a real point to turn their restaurant part of the community, and to highlight local food artisans and purveyors. It’s lovely to talk with people who not only have passion for what they do, but for the place where they live.

Yuka created this amazing concoction of sake, rum, coconut syrup, and cinnamon that doesn’t appear to be on the menu yet but I hope it will soon! Sweet and spicy and warming for a cool San Francisco night.

Besides their brunch, Cassava is also famous for their buttermilk fried chicken, which is first cooked sous-vide and then quickly deep fried, to keep it moist and tender with a perfectly crisp, not-too-greasy exterior. So addictive with the jalapeno aioli.

Their succulent pork chop with tomato Dijon jam was another cozy end of summer/hello to fall dish.

Dessert was an intense, nutty, black sesame panna cotta with fruit gleaming like jewels on top. I really love the aesthetic of their food, and how they seamlessly blended Asian influences into their dishes. I’m a fan of black sesame, so this was a big hit for me.

Thanks to Kris and Yuka for having us at Cassava, clearly a very personal labor of love for them. It’s such a wonderful spot, the only problem is it isn’t my neighborhood! I’m looking forward to returning again to try out their brunch menu and just to enjoy their lovely space. Reservations are recommended, especially for weekends.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/11/cassava-san-francisco-restaurant.html/feed0Autumn Pumpkin Tarthttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/autumn-pumpkin-tart.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/autumn-pumpkin-tart.html#respondMon, 22 Oct 2018 20:00:46 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6848This autumn pumpkin tart is a sleek take on pumpkin pie and perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and your holiday table. So after I mentioned in my last post that I wasn’t a big fan of pumpkin in general, yes I went and made something with pumpkin. Isabelle is very into Halloween this year, so with […]

This autumn pumpkin tart is a sleek take on pumpkin pie and perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and your holiday table. So after I mentioned in my last post that I wasn’t a big fan of pumpkin in general, yes I went and made something with pumpkin. Isabelle is very into Halloween this year, so with all the trick-or-treating plans and pumpkin hunting at the pumpkin patch, I figured I should get in the mood baking-wise as well. It ended up being a fun exercise in doing pumpkin pie my way – as a tart, of course!

This pumpkin tart is adapted from one of my go-to cookbooks, Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours. It’s got everything you’d want in your pumpkin pie filling, from brown sugar to rum to a generous sprinkling of spices, and the sour cream gives it that extra bit of smoothness and richness. The crust is really my favorite part: a classic buttery-tender pâte sablée enriched with hazelnuts to make it extra nutty and fragrant. No rolling required for this dough, so it’s even less stressful than making a pie; you simply press the dough in the tin, chill, and bake for a crust ready to be filled. I like the richer tart crusts for fall and winter, but if you don’t have hazelnuts or don’t want to include them, you can substitute the half cup of all-purpose flour back into the recipe.

As a tart fan, I like the ratio of filling to tart crust, but if you are a die-hard pumpkin pie lover this filling will also work in a pie crust. The amount of filling made actually is a bit more than is needed for the tart, so it should work well for a pie crust. Or, save the filling and make a mini tartlet if you also have some tart dough left over!

There’s apparently a bit of debate over whether pumpkin pie is best at room temperature or chilled. I will confess I haven’t had enough pumpkin pie to make a definitive decision, but for this tart at least, I was very taken with it when it had cooled down to room temperature, with perhaps just a smidge of warmth left. The texture of the filling is so silky and mousse-like, and you can taste all the brown sugar and spices coming through. Not shown but perhaps not-optional: a healthy dollop of whipped cream on the side. Between the toasting nuts and baking spices, it finally smelled like autumn in our house this weekend!

Combine hazelnuts and confectioners' sugar in a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground and combined with the sugar.

Add in the flour and salt and process to fully combine.

Add in butter and process in quick pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs - it should not be fully combined into a ball.

Add in the egg yolk and process in quick pulses just until the dough starts to form larger clumps. Again don't let it fully combine into a solid ball of dough. If the dough holds together when you press some small pieces together, it's done.

Butter a 9" round tart tin with removable bottom.

Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart tin. You may have some dough left over.

Freeze the tart shell for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and press it down over the crust.

Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until crust is dry and lightly browned. If the crust has puffed up, press it down with a spoon or dough tamper.

Let crust cool on cooling rack while you assemble the filling.

for the filling:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper and place the tart shell on it.

Combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally, until combined and very smooth.

Rap the processor bowl against a work surface to get rid of any bubbles, and pour filling into the tart shell. You will have some filling left over - save these for mini tarts!

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the center is set - it should jiggle only slightly if you tap the pan.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/autumn-pumpkin-tart.html/feed0Fig and Honey Cake with Creme Fraiche Whipped Creamhttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/fig-and-honey-cake.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/fig-and-honey-cake.html#respondWed, 10 Oct 2018 21:11:39 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6832This fig and honey cake is my official farewell to fig season. I know, I’m late, it’s already October and I should be moving on to pumpkin everything. But there was still a bevy of gorgeous, ripe figs at the market last week, and we’re still in the midst of Indian summer here, so I […]

This fig and honey cake is my official farewell to fig season. I know, I’m late, it’s already October and I should be moving on to pumpkin everything. But there was still a bevy of gorgeous, ripe figs at the market last week, and we’re still in the midst of Indian summer here, so I had to do a last bit of baking with them.

This cake is richer and subtler than the sweet cakes of summer; it’s flavored with honey and has a hint of cinnamon (I experimented with adding more spices but it started edging into full spice cake territory – perhaps better for the holidays!). The frosting is whipped cream mixed with a bit of crème fraiche to give it some tang, and some more honey. It might be a bit gilding the lily, when the figs are already devastatingly ripe and sweet, but I love swirling honey over them. When I bite into it, it’s like tasting the last memory of summer.

I’m going to be a little honest here, too: pumpkin isn’t really my favorite thing (I know! the horror!) so I may be a bit slow in getting some pumpkin-y recipes out, but if you’re already planning for Halloween, may I suggest:

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/10/fig-and-honey-cake.html/feed0{San Jose} Ozumo Santana Row Brunchhttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/san-jose-ozumo-santana-row-brunch.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/san-jose-ozumo-santana-row-brunch.html#commentsMon, 24 Sep 2018 20:57:35 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6812Ozumo Santana Row brunch is the most fun I’ve had at brunch recently. I’ve been to Ozumo in San Francisco a few times for their classic Japanese menu, but to not their San Jose branch. When I heard that Ozumo Santana Row was now offering a Japanese-influenced brunch on the weekends, it seemed the ideal […]

Ozumo Santana Row brunch is the most fun I’ve had at brunch recently. I’ve been to Ozumo in San Francisco a few times for their classic Japanese menu, but to not their San Jose branch. When I heard that Ozumo Santana Row was now offering a Japanese-influenced brunch on the weekends, it seemed the ideal time to finally make a visit.

Ozumo’s brunch menu. Visit their website for updates to their offerings. It’s full of Japanese-inspired interpretations on classic brunch items from steak and eggs to avocado toast to pancakes. And lots and lots of sushi – this alone already makes brunch at Ozumo a stand out.

Make your own mimosas with orange, grapefruit, peach, and cranberry juices. I like the touch of the champagne carafe in the wooden tub.

They also have perfect brunch cocktails like Bloody Marys or what I had, the Giddy Geisha, a lychee and passionfruit martini.

After drinks, the parade of sushi began, starting with the Hanabi, a plate sliced hamachi and avocado in a warm jalapeno-ginger ponzu sauce. This was one of my favorite dishes of the brunch.

I also really liked their Shacho – salmon, tuna, scallop, and crab salad wrapped in soy paper, with lobster sauce.

The pièce de résistance – the chef’s choice of nigiri over ice. The plating at Ozumo is absolutely on point. I hope these photos are properly conveying the beautiful presentation of every dish.

Onto the hot dishes. (Yes, we were barely halfway through brunch!) Pancakes with red bean, raspberries, and matcha powdered sugar. The matcha flavor was subtle and the pancakes were as fluffy and melt in your mouth as you could ask for.

Ozumo’s take on avocado toast with sourdough, shishito-avocado puree, eggs, and nori furikake.

Side view lets you see the avocado better. This is a really nice take on avocado toast.

Another favorite dish of our whole group was the popcorn crab and shrimp with furikake and yuzu mango aioli. Ethereally light tempura batter and that mango aioli made this dish super addictive. I might have eaten the whole thing if I wasn’t already almost full from all the other dishes.

Okinawan style fried donuts. These reminded me so much of Hawaiian malasadas, but they are a classic Okinawan dish. Deep fried donut balls tastes as amazing as it sounds. Crisp and sugary on the outside, and sweet cake on the inside. Don’t skip this dish.

Finally, for those of us who still had room in our stomachs, Ozumos’ spin on steak and eggs, with salt and pepper filets topped with sunny side up eggs and ozumo hash. There’s a dish for everyone’s taste on this menu, and it’s all really good. I waddled away from the table planning my return visit.

Ozumo Santana Row brunch is served on the weekends from 11:30 am – 3 pm. Try to get a seat in their beer garden, which is airy and lets you people-watch shoppers passing by while you enjoy your brunch. Thanks to Ozumo for hosting us and making our weekend eating so memorable!

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/san-jose-ozumo-santana-row-brunch.html/feed4{Napa}: Trefethen Vineyards Anniversary Tastinghttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/napa-trefethen-vineyards-anniversary-tasting.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/napa-trefethen-vineyards-anniversary-tasting.html#respondFri, 21 Sep 2018 19:11:06 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6774I’m so happy to share details from my day in Napa at the Trefethen Vineyards Anniversary Tasting. I know we’re just a day away from fall, but here we’re still hoping for a few weeks of Indian summer before sweater season. And, up in Napa, it’s still gloriously warm and golden. Fall is one of […]

I’m so happy to share details from my day in Napa at the Trefethen Vineyards Anniversary Tasting. I know we’re just a day away from fall, but here we’re still hoping for a few weeks of Indian summer before sweater season. And, up in Napa, it’s still gloriously warm and golden. Fall is one of the best times to visit Napa – you can see the foliage change colors and many wineries have opportunities for you to see the grape harvest. I got to visit Trefethen Vineyards about a month ago and I’m excited to share the experience. Going back through all the photos I took is making me eager to get back up there as soon as possible!

Trefethen Vineyards is one of Napa’s largest family wine estates. The historic winery, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places, was purchased by the Trefethen family in 1968. They are now celebrating their fifty year anniversary all year long, and we got to sample some of the festivities on our visit, including their anniversary tasting.

Trefethen CEO Jon Ruel gives us a royal welcome by opening a double magnum of their 1997 Chardonnay. Nothing says “celebration” better than a lot of really good vintage wine.

We got a brief tour of the vineyards before returning to the historic winery building. This building was severely damaged in an earthquake in 2014, and was completely repaired and rehabilitated. Hailey Trefethen, who currently helps run her family business along with her brother Loren, gave us a tour of the beautiful structure. You can still see some of the old wooden fermentation tanks and original de-stemming machine.

The tasting room is on the second floor. There’s a gorgeous solid wood table that serves as the focal point of the space. The tasting room is open every day, but tasting reservations are suggested, especially on the weekends.

We then walked through some of the spectacular gardens on the property to the Villa, the Trefethen family home that is now used for some of the winery’s more exclusive tastings. We were lucky enough today to participate in the Anniversary Tasting, which features several of their older vintages.

We actually had Trefethen’s head winemaker Bryan Kays leading the tasting, and his knowledge and insight helped deepen our appreciation of the wines. I’m a white wine drinker, so I really enjoyed comparing the three chardonnays, but I admit that tasting the 1999 cabernet sauvignon was remarkable.

Afterwards we went to the rear of the villa (by that gorgeous swimming pool!) to the Villetta, specially designed gourmet kitchen that’s often used to host cooking classes and other events. We got to participate in a dolma-making class by Trefethen’s Chef Chris Kennedy Aken. The leaves for the dolmas are from their grapevines – impressive how they manage to incorporate the bounty of their vineyards in so many ways!

We also got to stroll through the beautiful vegetable gardens and fruit orchards behind the house and check out the stunning vistas. Although the gardens may have started as a side project, many of Trefethen’s employees now enjoy taking home the produce, and Chef Aken will be using the harvest as well in a planned wine and food pairing program.

Finally, we got to see all the riches of Trefethen come together in a gorgeous poolside lunch created by Chef Aken.

Nothing better for a warm summer afternoon than a rose. Trefethen’s S.I.N (Summer in Napa) Rose fit the bill perfectly.

Filet of salmon with roasted morels on brown rice congee with a red wine emulsion.

Dessert was a chocolate custard with honeycomb candy, chocolate soil, and blackberries from the estate gardens. It was a wonderful interplay of textures and flavors. Decadent and still perfectly light.

After this fantastic day, we left with a farewell gift from Trefethen, including bottles of their wine, marmalade, and olive oil. The bounty from this place is incredible. Thank you so much for wonderful day Trefethen Vineyards ! I’ll be sure to come back to celebrate the harvest!

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/napa-trefethen-vineyards-anniversary-tasting.html/feed0Fruit Jam and Almond Tarthttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/fruit-jam-and-almond-tart.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/fruit-jam-and-almond-tart.html#commentsWed, 12 Sep 2018 19:17:03 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6761Nothing like a fruit jam and almond tart to celebrate fall. We’re full on in stone fruit season, and it’s a constant struggle between using all the fruit from the market to try out new recipes, and just eating the fruit straight. Now that Isabelle’s officially a kindergartner, I don’t have the time for elaborate […]

Nothing like a fruit jam and almond tart to celebrate fall. We’re full on in stone fruit season, and it’s a constant struggle between using all the fruit from the market to try out new recipes, and just eating the fruit straight. Now that Isabelle’s officially a kindergartner, I don’t have the time for elaborate jamming plans, but the good thing is there is so much good jam around here I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

I recently was sent a jar of jam from Gillian, founder and chief jammer of Jamnation Jams. She’s based in San Francisco like me, and she’s dedicated to using local, organic fruit, combined with unusual herbs and spice to create some memorable flavor combinations. The cleverness of her names, from Plum and Get It to Sublemonal Message, has totally won me over – not to mention that the jams are totally delicious.

I got a jar of Rose to the Grindstone, which happens to be the founder’s favorite. It’s made from Arctic Star white nectarines with Bulgarian rose essence. It has a gorgeously floral fragrance, intense sweetness and tastes like the memory of summer.

Although it would be perfect on toast or paired with some cheese, it’s also great as part of dessert. To keep the focus on the jam, I kept it simple and used one of Deborah Madison’s recipes from her lovely cookbook Seasonal Fruit Desserts. It’s one of my favorite go-to cookbooks for baking with fruit; all the recipes are simple, foolproof, and showcase the fruit, as should be the case.

This tart is very simple and a bit of a riff on a frangipane tart, with the flakiest of crusts, and an almond and butter with filling a bit of baking powder that gives it a fluffier, more cakelike texture than the usual creaminess of frangipane. Almond complements most any fruit, so any jam would work well at the bottom, from apricot to fig to berry. I really liked the Jamnation jam as there were chunks of nectarine that gave more fullness and body to the filling. Look for thicker preserves if you want to achieve the same.

Thanks to Jamnation Jams for introducing me to their amazing jams, and giving us another way to enjoy the bounty of fall!

Combine water, vanilla, and almond extract and drizzle over the mixture. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs – it should not be fully combined into a ball.

Turn out mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk about 1 inch thick. If you have trouble making it stick together add a few more drops of water.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press and form into the bottom and sides of a 9" round tart pan, or four 4½" round tartlet pans. Make sure to spread the dough out and up evenly to prevent an overly thick bottom or sides.

Chill tart pan in refrigerator while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake tart shell for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes more.

Remove tart shells from oven and let cool.

For the filling:

Combine almond meal, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process until combined and very fine.

Add in eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and process until combined.

Add in butter, flour, and baking powder. Process until the mixture becomes a smooth batter, about 10 seconds.

To assemble:

Place tart shells on a baking sheet.

Using an offset spatula, spread jam over the bottom of the tart shells.

Pour the almond filling over the jam and smooth out the tops. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the tops.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the filling is smooth, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/09/fruit-jam-and-almond-tart.html/feed2French Blueberry Lemon Curd Tartshttps://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/08/french-blueberry-lemon-curd-tarts.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/08/french-blueberry-lemon-curd-tarts.html#commentsWed, 22 Aug 2018 18:29:51 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6713Hope you have been enjoying your summer! This French blueberry lemon curd tart is an updated version of one of my favorite tart combos: buttery French-style lemon curd with fresh dark berries. The very first time I made this was Claudia Fleming’s very excellent version with a graham cracker crust, and Pierre Hermé’s famous lemon […]

Hope you have been enjoying your summer! This French blueberry lemon curd tart is an updated version of one of my favorite tart combos: buttery French-style lemon curd with fresh dark berries. The very first time I made this was Claudia Fleming’s very excellent version with a graham cracker crust, and Pierre Hermé’s famous lemon cream. I’ve kept this lemon cream because it’s still my favorite style of lemon filling for tarts, and upped the presentation a little since my beginner pastry days!

I was in Seattle and Vancouver for a sunny week (a very sunny week; temperatures were consistently in the upper 80s F/20s C, which is not what we expected of the famously cool and rainy Pacific Northwest!) Luckily we brought enough sunscreen, and ate a lot of ice cream and popsicles to beat the heat. Visit my instagram to see some of my favorite places we stopped at on our trip, plus a blog post coming soon!

It’s full on berry season in Washington, so everywhere we turned were heaps of blueberries, blackberries, loganberries, boysenberries, and all those other less common varieties I never see enough of in the Bay Area. Quick tip from my travels: if you’re up around Pike Place Market (yes, touristy, but still an amazing place to visit), don’t miss Le Panier for their marvelous marionberry tart. Once I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the berries and had to make this tart.

When I look back through my favorite recipes, this lemon cream always comes to the top. Eating it feels like pure luxury, a heaping spoonful of pure sunshine. All the little extra steps, from straining it into a food processor, to the addition of butter, really make a big difference in elevating it over other lemon curds. If you make it with Meyer lemons, it’s sweeter, more subtle, a great spread for scones and biscuits. With regular lemons, it’s more assertive, a nice tart base (so to speak) for ripe summer berries, without overpowering them. It’s a lovely way to remember our trip up north and to celebrate the waning days of summer.

Combine water, vanilla, and almond extract and drizzle over the mixture. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs – it should not be fully combined into a ball.

Turn out mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk about 1 inch thick. If you have trouble making it stick together add a few more drops of water.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press and form into the bottom and sides of a 14" x 4½" rectangular tart pan. Make sure to spread the dough out and up evenly to prevent an overly thick bottom or sides.

Chill tart pan in refrigerator while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake tart shell for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes more.

Remove tart shell from oven and let cool.

For the lemon cream:

Create a water bath by placing a saucepan of water over heat to simmer and placing a metal bowl unto the pan so its bottom does not touch the water.

Combine the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers and add to the metal bowl.

Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice.

Cook the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly, until the cream reaches 180 degrees and thickens. Keep whisking while the mixture is heating up to prevent the eggs from cooking.

Once the cream is thickened – you should be able to make tracks in the mixture with your whisk – take the cream off the heat and strain it into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let the cream rest for a bit until it cools to about 140 degrees.

Add in the butter pieces a few at the time and combine on high speed. Once all of the butter has been added, let the mixture combine for a few minutes longer to ensure the mixture is perfectly smooth.

Once the cream is finished pour it into a container and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour before assembly.

To Assemble:

Spoon the lemon cream into the tart shell and spread out evenly with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon.

]]>https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/08/french-blueberry-lemon-curd-tarts.html/feed2Eat Drink SF 2018 Is Almost Here!https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/08/eat-drink-sf-2018-is-almost-here.html
https://dessertfirstgirl.com/2018/08/eat-drink-sf-2018-is-almost-here.html#respondSun, 19 Aug 2018 03:59:56 +0000https://dessertfirstgirl.com/?p=6720It’s almost time for one of the best food and drink events in San Francisco – Eat Drink SF 2018 starts this Friday August 24 and runs until August 26. This SF tradition celebrates the very best of the city’s chefs and restaurants in a glorious weekend of tastings, demonstrations, and educational programming. Along with […]

It’s almost time for one of the best food and drink events in San Francisco – Eat Drink SF 2018 starts this Friday August 24 and runs until August 26. This SF tradition celebrates the very best of the city’s chefs and restaurants in a glorious weekend of tastings, demonstrations, and educational programming. Along with over 160 chefs and restaurants, 70 bars, distilleries, breweries, and wineries keep the drinks free flowing. Since family life keeps me from going out on the town as much as I used to, Eat Drink SF is a fun way to catch up on what’s going on in the vibrant SF restaurant scene.

I’m going to be at the Sunday Grand Tasting session on Sunday, August 26, and I hope to see you there! I’m happy to be able to offer a discount from Eat Drink SF : use the code “AnitaChu” and get $20 off your tickets. Here are some shots from last year’s Eat Drink SF to entice you.